Pontoon Cove Eco House
Site-sensitive project advocates for market transformation
Royal Roads University Learning and Teaching Auditorium
Repurposed space shows benefits of adaptive renewal
https://www.cagbc.org/news-insights/regional-focus/#bc-focus
Royal Roads University Learning and Teaching Auditorium: Repurposed space shows
24 Zero-carbon learning from A to Z: Transitioning to a zero-carbon future requires that all buildings reach zero emissions by 2050
Building Lasting Change: Spotlight on decarbonization
26 Building Community Capital: Sustainable development through social procurement
30 The Winning Teams: 2023 Canadian Green Building Awards
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Welcome to the latest issue of British Columbia FOCUS, a partnership between Sustainable Architecture & Building Magazine and the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC). In this issue, you’ll read about exciting new projects like the Royal Roads University Learning Auditorium – an adaptive renewal of previously unused space, the highly energy efficient Pontoon House, and The Peak, a six-storey rental apartment building with commercial retail units on the ground floor.
I am happy to report that CAGBC’s annual conference saw a successful return to Vancouver. Over two days, June 1-2, Building Lasting Change hosted representatives from across the building spectrum. In keeping with the market and Canada’s climate targets, the program focused heavily on decarbonizing the building sector.
This shift toward more zero-carbon content doesn’t alter our commitment to the more holistic benefits of green buildings. We continue to support green buildings to eliminate environmental impacts, enhance biodiversity, and improve human health and well-being. However, in this critical decade for climate action, we recognize the need for decisive action – and zero carbon buildings offer a proven solution to significant carbon reductions.
Since its creation 20 years ago, CAGBC has worked to provide the building sector with sustainable solutions that are as effective for business as they are for people and the planet. Our approach to carbon reduction builds on the industry capabilities we have nurtured since the early 2000s and now support through our Zero Carbon Building standards, a revitalized Accelerating to Zero education series, and our industry-driven Accelerators and working groups.
Achieving meaningful climate action means all buildings must be zero-carbon, and deep carbon retrofits are essential. Meeting 2030 and 2050 targets will require building owners and operators to advance their asset- and portfolio-level transition planning. Building owners must consider investments in carbon reduction with every planned improvement or retrofit to ensure assets retain their value in the coming years.
As the real estate sector and other companies move toward adopting Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) goals as key performance metrics, CAGBC will be ready with the tools and services needed to measure, report, and achieve environmental targets. The need to recognize and report climate risk will also increase interest in third-party certifications as a tool for the real estate investment community.
Now is a critical time for the building sector, and we hope you will join us in the transition to zero carbon buildings and retrofits.
Sincerely,
Thomas Mueller President & CEO, Canada Green Building Council
Pontoon Cove Eco House is a single-family dwelling that projects out from a sloped oceanfront property and culminates in a triangular deck which reaches out above the rocky point below. This sustainable home on Vancouver Island, near Saxe Point in Esquimalt, exceeds Step Code 5 with a heating demand below the Passive House standard, and sufficient solar panels on the roof to hit net zero operating demand.
We worked with a Certified Passive House Designer to design the house in accordance with the Passive House rating system, and the design and construction team are well versed in Passive House detailing and thermal bridge free construction. Our holistic approach to sustainability balances beauty and pragmatic functionality in a minimalist design inspired by the site and West Coast Modernism.
We maintained and encouraged the natural ecosystem on the property by ‘rewilding’, that is, removing invasive species and providing dark and natural habitats for the local flora and fauna. The elevated design eliminated the need for blasting the rocky site during construction.
A rain garden of native plantings collects and naturally filters water and is supplemented by a 400-gallon storage tank with over capacity diverted to the on-site drainage swale, along with all other water from the site’s hard surfaces, allowing water to seep into the aquifer. The permeable driveway and raised paths minimize impact on the natural site. Additionally, an experimental moss roof will reduce the heat island effect, create habitat, and reduce run-off.
Site plan
Winter section
Summer section
Residence
Permeable driveway
1. Garage
2. Mudroom / mechanical
3. Bathroom
4. Pantry / future lift
5. Media room / library + flex bathroom
6. Kitchen
7. Dining room
8. Living room
9. Outdoor living / open deck
10. Office
11. Native moss green roof
12. Bedroom
This project’s passive cooling and ventilation strategies, using the stack effect and carefully placed operable windows in combination with rooflines, deck projections, and solar shading devices, resulted in only two overheating days per year according to the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). The house uses Passive House certified fiberglass windows, with floor-to-ceiling windows along the south-facing ocean-front side of the house.
Architect ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors Inc
Construction Interactive Construction Inc
Landscape Design Greenspace Designs
Structural Engineer Blackwell
Geotechnical Engineer Ryzuk Geotechnical
Energy Consultant Adapt Energy Advising
Photos Interactive Construction Inc and ONE
SEED Architecture + Interiors Inc
The kitchen, dining, and living rooms, all within 7m of an operable window, have large views to the ocean and Olympic Mountains beyond. Overhangs and shading devices are designed to optimize daylighting and solar heat gain in the winter months, while providing shade in the warmer months.
The double air-barrier approach to all assemblies ensures fresh air is flowing through the house exclusively via a HRV with 84% efficiency. This approach resulted in a blower door test of 0.35ACH,
PROJECT PERFORMANCE
Site Area 687m²
Gross Floor Area 310.4 m² (measured to exterior cladding)
Treated Floor Area 219.7 m² (as per PHPP)
Energy Intensity 37.4 kWh/m²/year (PER data in PHPP)
Heating Demand 14.2 kWh/m²a (PHPP)
Base Building 13.5 kWh/m²a (heating, cooling, ventilation)
Process Energy 23.9 kWh/m²a (DWH, lighting, appliances, expected plug loads)
Reduction in Energy Intensity App. 80%-90% more efficient
Recycled Materials Content Project used products with high recycled content, such as blown-in cellulose, metal cladding, and salvaged lumber
Water Consumption: Rainwater catchment system and lowflow fixtures reduce consumption by 20%.
In addition to the passive solar heating captured through the south-facing high-performance windows, and temperature regulation facilitated with high thermal mass concrete in the first floor and passive cooling, this house utilizes a highefficiency mini-split heat pump for heating and cooling.
The home exceeds Step Code 5, with an energy intensity of 13.5kWh/m2a – below the Passive House standard. The 30module PV array on the roof generates 14,841 kWh/annum. With the annual energy intensity at 8,216.8 kWh/annum, the array generates enough power for net zero operating, providing almost twice the home’s energy demands.
Interior
The gas connection was capped at the street to reduce reliance on fossil fuel in the future. Appliances are Energy Star rated electric, and an emergency sub-panel was provided to allow the house to operate critical loads on the electricity from a car battery or solar panels, in the event of a grid outage.
The home boasts many high-performance assemblies with lifecycle considerations at the forefront of all material selections. The floors, walls, and roofs use engineered lumber and recycled cellulose insulation. Living spaces are all above grade with a wood framed floor over a concrete wall crawl space made of Carbon Cure Eco Mix concrete. This technology introduces recycled CO2 into the concrete, making it a permanent carbon sink.
Exterior
Siding strapping rainscreen
Weather resistive barrier (W.R.B. + A.B.)
Plywood sheathing, taped @ all joints (A.B. + V.B.)
TJI joist c/w 9-1/2” cellulose insulation in cavity, R36 (R3.78”/in. @ 9.5”)
2x6 wood stud wall (structural load bearing) C/W 51/2” batt insulation cont. in stud wall cavity, R24 (R4.4/in. @ 5.5 in.)
Thermal bridge free at floor and structural elements
Wall to floor detail
Moss roof Torch-on roofing membrane
Venting
Wood soffit
Siding strapping rainscreen
Weather resistive barrier (W.R.B. + A.B.)
2x6 wood stud wall (structural load bearing) C/W 51/2” batt insulation cont. in stud wall cavity, R24 (R4.4/in. @ 5.5 in.)
Wall to roof detail
Tape at all joints
Weather resistive barrier (W.R.B. + A.B.)
TJI joist c/w 11-7/8” cellulose insulation in cavity, R36 (R3.78”/in. @ 9.5”)
Plywood sheathing, taped @ all joints (A.B. + V.B.)
2 x 4 purlins (service cavity) c/w 3-1/2” batt insulation R15.4 (R4.4 @ 3.5 in.)
Environmentally sensitive selections include highrecycled content, durable, and low-maintenance exterior materials and healthy no-VOC interior materials. About 90% of all dimensional lumber offcuts were repurposed at other projects. The interior stairs were constructed of salvaged lumber and a 100% recyclable steel stringer, while the two trees removed from site were milled for use as interior finishes. Moreover, the front door is a custom wood product as are the large (approximately 10 feet square) wood tilt and slide doors.
The home was designed for maximum flexibility and functionality, and future-proofed for ageing-in place without the need for significant renovations. A shaft currently used as storage on the main and upper level can be adapted for a future lift; and the main floor media room can be converted to a bedroom with a washroom and walk-in zero-threshold shower nearby.
Pontoon Cove Eco House raises the bar for local green building practices and contributes to our push for market transformation and encouragement of product suppliers and trades to provide environmentally responsible, low-embodied carbon, and high-performance options.
In fact, we used this project as an opportunity to lobby the local municipal council for an improved sustainability agenda and accommodations for green building practices, such as relaxed height restrictions to allow for deeper assemblies. The council noted that Pontoon Cove Eco-House represents ‘forward thinking’ and reflects the sustainability goals that should be encouraged in Esquimalt.
Allison Holden-Pope, Architect AIBC, Passive House Canada
Trained Design Professional, LEED AP BD+C is principal of ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors Inc.
The Dogwood Auditorium at Royal Roads University (RRU LTA) gives a dilapidated former swimming pool a new lease on life as a flexible gathering space for celebrations, assemblies, and day-to-day teaching. Initially built in 1959 for cadet training by the Royal Roads Military College, the demand for the swimming pool dropped when the University took over the site and it was decommissioned in the early 2000’s.
A shining example of adaptive reuse, the design of the multi-purpose presentation space was rooted in efforts to transform, rather than replace.
While most buildings on RRU’s Colwood campus are of English Edwardian architecture, the pool building sat alone in the woods but stood out for its international architectural style. The renovation left the familiar forested site largely undisturbed.
Inside, a six-lane lap pool with bleacher seating took up the main room, with an adjoining squash court and changing facilities. The RRU decided to repurpose the building rather than tear it down, resulting in a flexible auditorium for hosting graduations, conferences, and convocation ceremonies.
g Prevent interior condensation and mould
g Streamline balcony design by eliminating the need for bulky wrapped insulation
g Improve overall thermal transmittance (U-value) at structural penetrations by up to 50%
g Meet annual Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) targets for better building energy efficiency
Isokorb® Structural Thermal Breaks insulate concrete and steel connections, preventing thermal bridging where balconies, canopies, slab edges, parapets and rooftop dunnage connections pass through the building envelope. Reach out to discuss your next project or to schedule a lunch & learn for your team.
The front entrance features an art piece by Kwakwak’awakw artist Carey Newman, titled ‘All My Relations’, symbolizing relations between the land, air, water and spirit worlds and inspired by conversations with Asma-na-hi Antoine, the university’s Director of Indigenous Engagement.
The large-scale renovation reused the concrete structure, allowing a large portion of the embodied carbon of the existing building to be retained. However, new HVAC systems were required in which the bulk of the ductwork serving the larger spaces was run in old pool corridors located below the large multi-purpose room. This led to displacement plenums that were concealed behind the interior architectural wood slat finish. Some buried ductwork was also included to work around the existing building structure. The result of this is an effective system that is discrete, quiet and not directly visible to the occupants.
A single air handler serves the building and provides ventilation throughout all occupied spaces. A dynamic filter achieves a MERV-15 level of filtration to provide exceptional air quality to the building occupants. The HVAC system was sized to provide 100% outdoor air in the summer to further enhance the ventilation quality during these periods.
Client Royal Roads University
Architect hcma Architecture + Design
Construction Durwest Construction Manag3ment Inc
Civil Engineer ONPOINT Project Engineers Ltd
Electrical Engineer AES Engineering
Mechanical Engineer AME Consulting Mechanical Engineers
Structural Engineer RJC Engineers
Landscape Architect Associated Engineering Ltd
With a vision of creating a sustainable showcase, the mechanical systems incorporate a ground source heat pump in which the heat pump loop ties indirectly to ground water that flows beneath the building. By using this water as a cooling and heating rejection source we were able to heat and cool the space efficiently with significant reductions in energy use.
The ground source heat pump also provides preheating of the domestic water via indirect water heaters. The bulk of the temperature rise can be achieved through these tanks. The low temperature heating system is supplemented by a high efficiency condensing gas-fired boiler during times when the ground-source heat pump cannot provide sufficient heating capacity. The boiler is also used to top-up the pre-heated domestic water to sufficient temperatures for storage and distribution.
Extend acoustic batt 16mm GWB fire blocking/thermal barrier
Gravel stop beyond transitions to parapet as roof deck slopes down
Fire block to separate exterior wall cavity from ceiling space
Ceiling suspension grid (seismic restrained)
Preformed metal reveal column @ ceiling
Exposed steel column
Prefin. mtl cap flashing Vapour barrier Strip v.b. from roof thru break in sheathing, and lap over with avb from exterior wall
HSS support structure at cw infill steel with structural steel studs suitable to carry loads of stone anchors
Lap wall avb over thru-wall flashing Flashing w/ end dams and flat lock seams
Rod & sealant
Align Deflection mullion anchor to structural steel at header
Line of curtainwall jamb beyond
Lobby - Window Head / Parapet @ Stone
Wall cleat for roof membrane - sealant
Line of parapet to lower canopy roof Cont. wd. corner.
Thru wall scupper drain at east parapet to lower canopy roof
Cavity to vent and weep through mitre joint. min. 6mm gap c/w insect screen
Cavity wallfor diffusion vent.
Steel beam
Concealed space above ceiling
Prefinished metal t&g ceiling angle along edge
Large Multipurpose Room Lobby
Existing conc. struct. beam
Slat Wall - Lobby / Large Multi-purpose Room
Upgrades to the existing building structure and finishes were completed throughout the building to extend the life of the existing structure. Large heritage clearstory windows light up the newly renovated multipurpose spaces while new floor-to-ceiling windows provide large amounts of natural light to the new expanded welcome area.
The flexible nature of the multipurpose spaces will allow for future program changes to occur without requiring renovations to the new spaces. The large mechanical equipment, housed in the basement of the building, is arranged to allow convenient servicing. The nature of the ground-source loop means it has very little maintenance required to run it long term. The other equipment is expected to maintain its current level of operation with typical maintenance.
Adaptive reuse can offer benefits over building new. It preserves the existing building stock thus reducing the need for demolition and landfill, protects the site’s trees, and reuses existing materials.
From a functional perspective, the university has retained the heritage of its existing building stock, doubled the capacity of event space on campus, and created an opportunity to rent the space out for public events.
The Dogwood Auditorium follows in the footsteps of the neighbouring Sherman Jen building by modifying the existing building supply to suit the new needs and demands of the university. By breathing new life into old buildings, we can provide a valuable like-new space while minimizing the impact on the natural space around these buildings and avoiding new embodied carbon that would typically be required for a similar new building. Both buildings are prominent representatives of the University’s greater green initiatives.
This month, hcma is pleased to announce that RRU Dogwood Auditorium has been recognized by the BC Heritage Awards in the Conservation category. What was once a place of spirited competition is now a dynamic venue on the thriving Westshore.
By Stuart Rothnie, Architect AIBC, Principal at hcma Architecture + Design.
By Luke Han (Zhen)
“The Peak” is a six-storey mixed-use building in Vancouver with 52 rental suites and four commercial retail units on the ground floor. The goal of the project was to provide much needed rental housing options in the area and support a more vibrant commercial core.
With a growing population, limited increases in income, and a limited supply of new, purpose-built rental housing in recent decades, the need for rental housing has grown significantly. To keep the project affordable, profitable and liveable throughout its life, The Peak was designed and built to meet the voluntary energy requirements of the Passive House Institute. The result is a highly durable building with lower operating energy consumption, lower building maintenance, and improved occupant comfort.
The site is part of a neighbourhood centre identified under the City’s Affordable Housing Choices Interim Rezoning Policy. The original zone is C1 (three-storey building). Since this project applied for rezoning, one of the conditions is that it must meet the Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings. This sets out requirements for all applicable developments applying for rezoning to help transition the industry toward more sustainable building practices. In our case, we decided on the passive house energy compliance path.
1. “The Peak”, a six-storey mixed-use building in Vancouver has 52 rental suites and four ground-floor commercial retail units, provides much needed rental housing and commercial space for the neighbourhood.
2. The envelope consists of a 2x8 stud wall and an interior 2x3 service stud wall with the cavity filled with fiberglass batt insulation and an intelligent vapour variable membrane sandwiched between the double stud walls. Westform metal WF HF 12 soffit panels provide full ventilation of the soffits.
Architect Cornerstone Architecture
Structural Engineer London Mah & Associates
Mechanical Engineer Dialog
Electrical Engineer Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd
Civil Engineer CitiWest Consulting Ltd.
Commissioning Agent MC Air Balancing and True Mechanical
Building Envelope Commissioning Aqua-Coast Engineering
General Contractor/Construction Manager Edge
Construction
Photos Luke Han. Photo 4 Innotech Windows + Doors
3. Since this project applied for rezoning it was subject to the Green Buildings Policy for Rezonings which is helping the industry transition to more sustainable building practices. In this case, The Peak followed the passive house energy compliance path.
The wood framing and joists were prefabricated offsite and assembled onsite. The exterior wall assembly consists of 2x8 structural stud wall with an interior 2x3 service stud wall. The cavity is filled with fiberglass batt insulation with an intelligent vapour variable membrane sandwiched between the double stud walls. This membrane acts as the air barrier and as a vapour retarder in winter as it protects against condensation. In the summer, it maximizes vapour openness to facilitate rapid drying to the interior.
The windows and doors, manufactured by Innotech Windows + Doors in Langley, BC, are Passive House Institute certified. The windows and doors provide outstanding thermal insulation and superior air, water, and sound resistance due to their hybrid frame construction, 46mm IGU with triple glazing, and multipoint locking hardware. The tilt and turn function of the windows also allows for larger operable windows that provide passive natural ventilation for the residents.
Wood blocking, rabbet sides and bottom, install cladding inside rabbet locations; drill and fill pilot hole with polyurethane sealant; install stainless steel fasteners
Insect screen at top and bottom of wall-cladding (typical)
Pre-finished metal flashing protection strip at base of wall
Cant strip to divert water to scupper location
Pedestals as req’d
Air-barrier
Self-adhered membrane extend vertically over sheathing
Pre-strip continuous smart air/vapour barrier prior to framing
3’6” MIN. (NTS) high Glazed guardrail sidemounted
26 Ga. Cap flashing standing seams or ‘S’ Locks installed with wind clips
Air barrier turned down over top of plate, tape-sealed overlap
Spray foam rim beam
Mineral insulation
Continuous smart air/vapour barrier taped to vertical air/vapour barrier
Continuous reveal
2” Dia.vent plugs16 c/c at base and top of cavity
Window / Door Sill at Roof-Deck Level Caulk at base of gypsum Roof-Deck Curb sectionSelected windows on the east, south, and west façades have automated exterior blinds installed to eliminate unwanted solar heat gain in the summer. These blinds are programmed to deploy automatically based on the illuminance (lux) levels. They block up to 92% of heat, reducing the building’s energy costs. Residents can override the deploying of the blinds with a control in their suite, and the blinds will also retract when excessive wind speeds are detected.
The building is designed with six high efficiency heat recovery ventilators (HRV) on the roof to supply continuous fresh air to all the suites. The HRV extracts exhaust air from the bathroom and kitchen areas through a heat recovery core, where 85% of the heat energy contained therein is used to preheat air from the exterior which is supplied to bedrooms and living rooms. A single roof-mounted heat pump further tempers the air with coils in the supply air stream – providing heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
Hot water in this building is generated by four CO2 heat pumps in the parkade. Heat pumps move heat rather than create heat. This allows them to be three to four times as efficient as a conventional electric resistance hot water tank. This technology was chosen because it is very efficient for heating water and CO2 is a climate friendly refrigerant. Refrigerants can leak from heat pumps. Conventional refrigerants have a global warming potential of 2000 – 4000. The CO2 gas in this system has a global warming potential of 1.
Heat pump dryers are used in all suites. They are much gentler on clothing since they dry at lower temperatures than a conventional vented dryer. Instead of venting that hot, wet air outside, the air is looped back into the second coil where it’s cooled down causing moisture to condense out of the air and down the drain.
Without having to make up the exhausted hot air with cold outdoor air, no heating energy is wasted. Storm water is captured on site from all areas, including rooftops, paved areas, and landscape. To limit thermal bridging, rainwater leaders are located on the exterior of the building so the cold water is not running inside the thermal envelope. A stormwater detention chamber is provided to limit the post-development stormwater runoff rate from the site.
Thermal bridging details were designed ahead of time with computer models and physical mockups. Sequencing of construction was planned to make sure there is a continuity of the air barrier and thermal insulation. Every opening and penetration through the building envelope is sealed with high performance tape or sealant.
The building’s space heating demand is modelled to be 11.7 kWh(m2a). In the final air tightness test, the result achieved was 0.48 air changes per hour at 50 pascals (ACH50) – surpassing the required 0.60 ACH50 to meet Passive House certification. The result is a highly energy efficient building with very low operating costs and significantly more comfortable residents.
Luke Han (Zhen) Architect AIBC | MArch | BEDS is with Cornerstone Architecture.
Steel cladding is a durable, attractive and environmentally friendly choice for your project. It comes in a wide variety of colours and styles to suit any style of project – such as ‘The Peak’ Passive House apartment building (top left), and the Pontoon Cove Eco House (top right).
Developers, asset managers, designers, and governments must focus now on decarbonization in their long-term design planning, deep carbon retrofits, and portfolio-wide transitions. The Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Accelerating to Zero 2023 program charts the essential elements of this journey to decarbonization with a variety of workshops, webinars, peer exchanges, and on-demand courses. Find out more at cagbc.org/atoz.
Held throughout the year, these workshops will help you build and retrofit the buildings of the future with the CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building standards. Review important foundational knowledge for low-carbon buildings, with an emphasis on the latest versions of CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building standards.
Understand the issues that are critical to get to zero carbon. Leveraging CAGBC’s national network of members, leaders from across the country will share their experiences designing, building, and operating zero carbon buildings. This webinar series is sponsored by PCL and highlights cutting-edge strategies and emerging solutions with the potential to quickly drive down emissions.
The first session, Go-to Data for Enclosure Assemblies was held June 21 and featured Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and RDH’s database of Canada’s most popular enclosure assemblies as part of a funded project with The Atmospheric Fund (TAF).
Future sessions will include the Superior Essex-sponsored Grid-Smart Electrification (September), looking at how efforts to reduce GHG emissions such as distributed energy resources are also transforming the grid’s value proposition.
Minto Properties will sponsor the November session on Requirements of a Zero-Carbon Transition Plan, which will cover how CAGBC is working with the sector to define requirements and provide guidance to the market.
Tune-in to conversations with Canada’s leading zero-carbon experts. These Accelerating to Zero ask-the-expert sessions will invite meaningful dialogue around innovative solutions and technologies designed to advance our path to zero carbon. Tackling both technical and market challenges inherent in designing, constructing, and managing resilient, zero carbon buildings, this program is sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric Heating & Cooling.
If you are interested in participating in a session, contact info@cagbc.org.
Incorporate learning into your schedule when it is convenient for you. Developed and delivered by industry professionals with Canadian project experience, CAGBC’s on-demand courses help you further your career and expand your building knowledge. Visit cagbc.org/learn for more information.
Building Lasting Change brought Canada’s green building community to Vancouver. From real estate professionals, financiers, and policy advisors, to designers, contractors, owners, and tenants, the Canada Green Building Council’s annual conference highlights how the building sector can be a champion for impactful climate change solutions.
CCAGBC, along with presenting partner Mitsubishi Electric Heating & Cooling, put together a program focused on the opportunities zero-carbon building and retrofits present. Over the course of two days, experts shared their knowledge and participants got to explore practical solutions and discuss the policies, standards, and strategies necessary for decarbonizing large buildings at scale.
Highlights from the program included the sold-out building tours, featuring The Stack, Canada’s first commercial high-rise office tower to be awarded CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building –Design Standard certification, and last year’s winner of the CAGBC Award for Existing Buildings, the Bentall Centre.
The always-popular Gala event featured a moving keynote from Craig Losos, the executive director of Nature Conservancy Canada’s Nature and Climate Project Accelerator. Sponsored by Lafarge, the gala entertained while the presentation gave attendees insight into the ways the built environment can better interact with natural systems.
Also at the Gala, CAGBC unveiled the 2023 winners of the CAGBC Awards in green building leadership and excellence. The list of winners is available on cagbc.org/awards.
The closing plenary panel, entitled “ESG & Commercial Real Estate in Canada - State of the Industry,” touched on climate risk, social impact, and ESG reporting, and featured insights from REALPAC’s first-ever ESG State of the Industry Report, which they unveiled at Building Lasting Change.
Other highlights included these popular sessions:
• “Factoring resilience and climate risk into decarbonization strategies,” where participants learned how to maximize the benefits of building climate risk factors into transition plans.
• “Securing stakeholder buy-in for low-carbon transition” saw industry leaders share successful strategies for getting buy-in and engagement from the boardroom to tenants for zero-carbon projects.
• “Carbon as a metric in future codes and standards” featured an international panel of experts helping attendees understand how metrics in codes and standards are evolving to better capture the true impact of carbon.
Building Lasting Change will return to Toronto in 2024.
Every purchase has an economic, environmental, cultural, and social impact. Social procurement is the intentional effort to leverage social value outcomes from existing purchasing. With social procurement, price is no longer the only consideration; rather it is weighed against other factors.
When we use social procurement to purchase goods, services, or to choose a construction contractor, we are deliberately balancing the environmental impact, the social value outcomes, the product or service requirements, and the price.
1 https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/ma-bb/posacfi-asgicfieng.html
Over the past decade we have witnessed the emergence of social procurement policies and initiatives across numerous corporate and political entities, as they adjust their historic purchasing criteria from lowest price to best value. Leveraging a social value from their existing buying offers an opportunity to solve persistent and complex social and environmental issues, which achieve the UN Sustainability Goals.
Recognizing their purchasing power, governments have become the prime movers in the social procurement initiatives. “As the largest public buyer of goods and services, the Government of Canada can use its purchasing power for the greater good. We are using our purchasing power to contribute to socio-economic benefits for Canadians, increase competition in our procurements and foster innovation in Canada.”1
The size and breadth of governments’ purchasing power includes billions of dollars of spending every year on construction projects and infrastructure investments. From school building repairs, building a new firehall, a road replacement, or a new bridge, they all require hiring labour and purchasing a myriad of goods and services.
1 1. Rundle Affrodable Housing in Calgary.Across all levels of government in several countries, including Canada, USA, Sweden, UK, and Australia, policy is being designed and implemented to leverage existing purchasing or to use community development agreements to achieve social objectives that build healthy communities. Healthy communities are built when procurement becomes not simply an economic transaction, but a transformative tool for healthy communities. With social procurement embedded into the process, construction is more than the structure. Construction projects then build community.
The purpose of social procurement and community benefit models is to leverage the demand side of the construction industry market to achieve added social value. The more demand there is for a social value supplier, the more social value is created.
This global shift toward social procurement and community benefits in construction is a clear path to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. From ending poverty to impacting climate change, the construction industry holds a set of important keys to influence these outcomes.
Buy Social Canada is a social enterprise that advocates and supports the design and implementation of social procurement policy and programs. In its work across multiple projects Buy Social Canada has identified four key potential social value outcomes that can be achieved when social procurement is integrated into construction projects: jobs, training and apprenticeships, social value supply chain, and community development.
(Although fictional, this narrative is emblematic of the challenges faced by many people wishing to establish, or reestablish, a career path in construction.)
Mike, with seven years of experience as a Red Seal Carpenter, was injured on the job. The injury recovery required pain medication. The prescription led to a drug dependency which led to addiction, which led to Mike losing his health, his job, and benefits, and required a tough three-year struggle through recovery. Now Mike faced a new battle, with resume in hand, but a three-year gap in work. Those who doubted his potential to re-enter the labour market kept him unemployed. He faced self-doubt.
A friend recommended he go to check out Embers, since they hire day labour staff for the construction industry. Mike, with work boots, hard hat and tools from the EMBERS library, was on a job site the next day. Once on the job he was able to demonstrate his skills, and commitment to work a full day, every day. Within three months the General Contractor on the project, seeing Mike’s skills and commitment, offered him a full-time permanent job.
Mike’s journey is not that uncommon. This result happened because the General Contractor was meeting the requirements of a social procurement agreement on the work site. To meet social value targets to support hiring persons facing barriers to employment the GC had contracted EMBERS to provide day labour.
Community Capital Diagram UN Sustainable Development Goals Chart: This chart cross references 12 SDGs with the social procurement outcomes. The construction industry addresses the SDG’s when social procurement policies blend with social value suppliers.EMBERS is a social enterprise operated by a charitable organization based in the infamous Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, one of Canada’s poorest postal codes and home to thousands of struggling residents. On any given day, EMBERS’ Staffing Solutions will have over 400 people who face barriers to employment working as temporary labourers In local construction projects. Over 50% of these workers will move on to working full time in the construction sector, earning a living wage, and becoming a healthy member of the community. Each of these work opportunities means a chance to exit poverty, build a skill, find friendship, feed their family, and more.
Construction companies can choose from many temporary labour services, but only EMBERS, a competitor in this market area, offers a full employee program of supports, including training, insurance, good wages, and encouragement for workers to move on to fulltime permanent employment through collaborative programs with their business clients.
In addition to EMBERS, BUILD, a social enterprise in Winnipeg, trains and employs youth at risk in the building trades. Building UP in Toronto works with persons facing barriers to enter the labour market through jobs in the construction industry. Impact Construction in St. John’s, has built their business model to support youth to gain skills and a successful future.
Mike’s story contributed to the fact that every day, EMBERS’ collective activities achieve at least a dozen of the UN SDG’s. Imagine this story amplified across the globe!
Social enterprises provide other services to the construction industry supply chain as well, including trailer cleaning, junk removal, printing and signage, catering and food trucks, security, couriers, etc.2
Providing jobs, creating training and apprenticeships, and using social value suppliers is not just the role of the primary contractor, but as most sites have multiple sub-contractors and trades on the job, there are many other opportunities available.
When looking for a social value outcome, if a social enterprise isn’t available then use a concentric circle approach, and look for an Indigenous, Black, or Women-owned business, or a co-operative, a B Corps, or a local business depending on your goals.
There is a growing labour shortage internationally in the skilled trades. And with over 40% of current employees scheduled to retire in the next 15 years, this is an Impending catastrophe. The sector has a labour need, and the community has an employment gap for youth, immigrants, and members of historically marginalized communities.
Chandos Construction, an employee owned, B Corp Certified, General Contractor is a leading example of how the contractor's role as both supplier and purchaser can be leveraged to lead the construction industry in implementation of social procurement and achievement of SDGs. As a social purpose and net zero focused business, Chandos increases its competitive edge with owners and government buyers looking to meet their social procurement and community agreement goals, as well as their environmental objectives. In its supply chain Chandos uses its purchasing decisions to enhance the diversity of Its employment profile, and meet its own commitment to direct 5% of its controllable spending to social enterprises and diverse businesses.
As an example, EMBERS is Chandos' preferred labour source when working in Vancouver. This policy increases contracting opportunities, creates more engaged employees, improves the financial bottom line, and results in measurable community impact toward multiple SDGs.
Governments at all levels and in multiple countries see their opportunity, and the need, to leverage social value outcomes to meet their goals of greater equity and inclusion, poverty reduction, climate change mitigationamong others, which all align with the SDGs. The initiatives to create social value from existing construction projects is being driven by policy changes imposed by governments.
Some see these policies as an unwarranted wealth distribution tax, a distraction or simply an increase in the cost of doing business. The evidence of best value through procurement is still a nascent movement, with a need to address pre-existing perceptions through research and case study evidence. In this regard, It could be compared to the green building movement 20 years ago.
By interviewing key actors in the Swedish construction sector and reviewing policy-in-practice literature, Dr. Daniela Troje concludes that while social procurement policies can mitigate issues related to social exclusion, unemployment and segregation, and the construction sector has great potential for implementation of social procurement practices, there is currently a misalignment between social procurement policies.3
What may begin as resistance, or strictly a matter of compliance, can often lead to a change in relationships between market segments. This is currently where we are at with social procurement and community benefit agreements across the construction sector; transitioning from fear and myth building to engagement, pilot projects and early successes.
Eventually, when meeting the social value requirements now being built into RfX and contract deliverables is recognized as a market advantage the industry will adapt - just as It has done for green buildings. Social value outcomes are on a similar trajectory, moving from compliance to early adopters, to market requirement, to market advantage.
Moving forward, this increasing momentum will mean greater integration of social value suppliers and related outcomes in every construction and infrastructure project.
As the anecdote of Mike's story grows into a multitude of similarly positive outcomes, backed by a wealth of empirical evidence, we will meet the Sustainable Development Goals with each new job created, with every apprenticeship offered to a person facing barriers to employment, and with every contract that includes a social enterprise in the supply chain.
DAVID LEPAGE IS MANAGING PARTNER OF BUY SOCIAL CANADA. TIM COLDWELL IS THE PRESIDENT OF CHANDOS CONSTRUCTION. 3 3. BC Housing 1st and Clark in Vancouver.
The annual program to recognize excellence in the design and execution of all types of sustainably-designed, highperformance Canadian residential and non-residential buildings and interiors, both new and renovated.
Existing Building Upgrade Award
ERA Architects and PCL Construction
(l. to r.): Lori O’Malley, Building Envelope Engineering Specialist, Andrew Norman, District Building Systems Manager, Andrew Vanderstraeten, Superintendent, Jonathan Rodrigues, Project Manager, Stephen Montgomery, Sustainability Specialist, and Mark Henderson, Manager, Building Revitalization, all of PCL Constructors Canada. Inc. The architects of the project: ERA Architects.
Institutional (Large) Award
Diamond Schmitt and Number TEN Architectural Group
(Diamond Schmitt l. to r.): Back row: Andrew Keung, Sydney Browne, Michael Leckman, Haley Zhou. Front row: Birgit Siber, Parnian Maddahi, Emre Goktay of Diamond Schmitt. Not present: Martin Davidson, Martin Gauthier, Lou-Salome Bienvenu, Solmaz Eshraghi, Steven Ischkin, Rui Hu, Tristan Crawford, Christiano Mahler, Sebastien Dion, Valerie Gomez, Marcela Ortiz, Halima Namugga, Darlene Magno.
(Number TEN Architectural Group l. to r.: Back Row - Gabe Derksen, Michael Hiebert, Derek Martens. Front Row - Amanda Ross, Richard Cueto, Kat Kreftsun, Doug Hanna, Chelsea Lazar, Henry Bakker, Holly Handford. Missing from photo: Aruna Anaparti , all of number TEN architectural group.
Institutional (Small) Award
LM Architectural Group
(l. to r.): Heather West, Corey Greenham, Shelly Slobodzian, Tamara Maltman and Ryan Van Belleghem of LM Architectural Group | Environmental Space Planning.
Interior Design Award
Ædifica
(l. to r.): Mélanie Pitre, Vice-President of Sustainable Development, and Vanessa Toralti, Technical Coordinator of Sustainable Development, Ædifica.
Technical Award
Kearns Mancini architects inc.
(l. to r.): Rick Sealey (Principal), Jonathan Kearns (CEO), Donna Eng (Senior Principal) and Peter Ng (Senior Principal) of Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.
SOLO HOUSE
Residential (Small) Award
Perkins&Will
(l. to r.): Aik Ablimit, Cillian Collins, Alysia Baldwin of Perkins&Will.
NEIL CAMPBELL ROWING CENTRE
Institutional (Small) Award
MJMA + Raimondo + Associates
Architects Inc.
(l. to r.): John-Alexander Raimondo and Emilio Raimondo of Raimondo + Associates Architects in joint venture with MJMA Architecture & Design.
LOBLAWS GROCETERIA
WAREHOUSE ADAPTIVE RE-USE
Mixed Use Award
Alliance Architecture
(l. to r.): Mark Cascella and Blair Robinson of architects – Alliance.
ENDRESS + HAUSER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTRE
Commercial/Industrial (Large) Award mcCallumSather
Michelle Austin, MAATO, OBEC, LEED AP (Managing Principal, Operations) accepting the Commercial/Industrial (Large) Award on behalf of the team at mcCallumSather.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Residential (Large) Award
Local Practice Architecture + Design
(l. to r.): Annie Dahan, Geoff Cox, Graham Girard, Matthew Woodruff, and Maru Kim of Local Practice Architecture + Design.
National Sponsor
Category Sponsors
